troughs

noun

plural of trough
1
as in pipes
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas) all of the wiring for the converted residential loft is concealed in a vertical trough

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in ditches
a long narrow channel dug in the earth I slid and fell into the trough by the side of the road, scraping my leg

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in gutters
a pipe or channel for carrying off water from a roof the troughs on the eaves of the house were clogged with leaves

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of troughs Their Angora goats and Rambouillet sheep roam over the land, stopping at a network of water troughs. — Rebecca Santana, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026 This smear is described mathematically by a wave function which, like a classical wave, has peaks and troughs. — Elise Cutts, Quanta Magazine, 23 Sep. 2026 Trotter’s team had prepped the property with water troughs and alfalfa hay, which drew in the animals. — Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026 For water that cannot be emptied, such as horse troughs or ponds, consider adding mosquito dunks containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, or Bti. — Rae Ford, Martha Stewart, 12 Sep. 2026 The strength of the polar vortex is vulnerable to the large ridges and troughs that form in lower levels of the atmosphere and influence how the jet stream moves. — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 Free mosquitofish are also available through the Butte County Mosquito and Vector Control District for ponds, troughs and other standing water that cannot be drained. — Jessie Baltaxe, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Where the largest earners can afford to spend heavily year-on-year, the rest are beholden to peaks and troughs. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026 This is because light waves in these sources stay synchronized with their peaks and troughs, making predictable patterns that were thought essential for photon entanglement. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troughs
  1. pipes
  2. ditches
  3. gutters
  4. conduits
  5. trenches
  6. tubes
  7. ravines
  8. channels
Noun
  • That can crack pipes and leave homeowners dealing with expensive repairs.
    — Tori Mason, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Instead of a wall switch, there’s a lever next to the faucet and water is injected directly into the disposal along with enzymes that help break down food to protect pipes.
    — Nina Elder, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of pipes
Noun
  • Hilly woods or swamps with lots of folds, ditches, and creeks are best for ground hunting.
    — Colin Moore, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Those risks can include operating heavy mowing equipment and having to navigate roadside ditches.
    — Susan DeGrane, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ditches
Noun
  • Infrastructure funding would be used to maintain pavement, curbs, gutters, alleys, bridges and culverts throughout the city.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2026
  • There are no people in her piece, simply 45 silver images of Bowery storefronts and gutters, typically littered with empty bottles.
    — J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of gutters
Noun
  • Hailed as a bold experiment seven years ago, the Sanfic-Morbido Lab, part of Sanfic’s industry section Sanfic Industria, has evolved into one of the region’s most consistent conduits for fantastic/genre filmmaking.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 1 Sep. 2026
  • However, developing specialized buoyant materials, underwater conduits, and anti-corrosive gear come with a premium price tag.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of conduits
Noun
  • Sharp suits and smoking jackets came alongside cocoon shapes, functional hunting jackets, double-breasted trenches and generous winter coats, with longer lengths and full collars suggesting the urban style of the 1980s and ’90s.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Oversized bombers and close-fitting cropped styles mingle with polished trenches, slouchy anoraks, and classic motos.
    — Christina Holevas, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of trenches
Noun
  • Beyond the inside of tubes and pipes, chalky, crusty alkaline deposits often form around the base of faucets, the outer rims of refrigerator water dispensers, and on the bottom of tea kettles.
    — Emily Farris, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This drive, through some of Maui’s most beautiful and varied landscapes, passes by lava tubes, small communities, waterfalls, and invites you to slow down.
    — Kevin Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tubes
Noun
  • This 150-acre Clayton County preserve sits near shopping centers and busy roads, but its trails wind through woodlands, ravines and ponds that feel worlds away from metro Atlanta.
    — Nicole Bennett, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Many more were imperiled by muddy water racing through the narrow ravines, sparking frantic rescue missions for dozens.
    — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ravines
Noun
  • Development is coordinated through public channels like GitHub and the project’s forums.
    — Nick Indge, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • As transistors got smaller, the channels between them became proportionally narrower, and aluminum’s performance hit a wall.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of channels

Browse Nearby Words

trough
troughs
trounce
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Cite this Entry

“Troughs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troughs. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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